Chandrawtee Betun

An aim in life

Gender Links (GL) has been of great utility to me. It has helped me to live with a goal. I have joined the course at GL in the year 2014. I have been able to attend all the three phases of the course. I have learnt how women should do their best to make them respected. Women should strive to think bigger. I have also learnt that we are living in a society where there is an urgent need for women to rise up and make their voice heard. Or else no one will speak for them. On personal grounds, I am fifty-nine years old.  I am a divorced woman with three grown up children. One of my children is married. So at home, I am living with my two other children. I am actually working on the agricultural site. I am planning to do chicken farming in my own home yard. I know that this will earn me more money. Working on the agricultural site earns me only a mere two hundred rupees daily. Sometimes I go to work only four times a week as there is no work. I try to live with this little money. This is not enough for me and even not for my two children. During my years of marriage with my husband, I have experienced a lot of violence. He used to beat me. He was an alcoholic person. Now I am divorced but I have even more financial problems. I want also to ameliorate my house accommodation. I am actually living in a house with a sheet metal roof. When rain falls, inside also gets wet. So, another part of my aim is to rebuild my home. I have look up for social aid but I have not get any till today. I am facing a lot of problems and difficulties with the bad state of my house. Having little money from the agricultural site, I cannot save money to build it. However, I know that I will make my business plan stand up. The thing that is blocking the way to achieve my project is the bad condition of my house and my small yard. I am very motivated to advance in life. Before knowing GL, I was very discouraged with my own life situations. Now I know that women also can do business. I know that through determination and hard work, I will be able to solve my problems. I must at all cost start my business plan. I know that then, I will be able to live a more quiet life. Or else, I have six words for Gender Links, “Thank you so much, good job. “